Bowling aid

ABSTRACT

A BOWLING AID COMPRISING A U-SHAPED PANEL MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF LEG PORTIONS WITH A CONNECTING MEMBER HOLDING THE OUTER END PORTIONS OF THE LEG PORTIONS IN POSITON WITH A PAIR OF FINGER LOOPS AT THE RESPECTIVE ENDS OF THE LEG PORTIONS THEREOF FOR RECEIVING THE INDEX FINGER AND LITTLE FINGER AND HAVING A WRISTBAND PORTION INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH THE BASE OF THE PANEL MEMBER FOR ENCIRCLEMENT ABOUT THE WRIST TO SUPPORT THE WRIST AND FIRMLY SECURE SUCH PANEL MEMBER TO THE HAND. A CONTOURED RIGID U-SHAPED MEMBER SI ADJUSTABLY ATTACHED TO THE PANEL MEMBER FOR POSITIONING AND CRADLING A BOWLING BALL PRIOR TO DELIVERY OF THE BOWLING BALL.

Sept. 20, 1971 F BORDEN 3,606,319

BOWLING AID Filed Dec. 29, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

FIG. 3 512E]; L.B0 D EN ATTYQ Sept. 20, 1971 F. L. BORDEN 3,506,319

I BOWLING AID Filed Dec. 29, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.4

m I NVENTOR.

F G. 8 FRED L.BORDEN ATTY.

United States Patent US. Cl. 273--54B 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bowling aid comprising a U-shaped panel member having a pair of leg portions with a connecting member holding the outer end portions of the leg portions in position with a pair of finger loops at the respective ends of the leg portions thereof for receiving the index finger and little finger and having a wristband portion integrally formed with the base of the panel member for encirclement about the wrist to support the wrist and firmly secure such panel member to the hand. A contoured rigid U-shaped member is adjustably attached to the panel member for positioning and cradling a bowling ball prior to delivery of the bowling ball.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a bowling aid and more particularly to a bowling aid used in supporting the wrist and in positioning the ball prior to delivery of a bowling ball.

Bowling balls as presently constructed have a hole for the thumb and two spaced holes for the middle fingers. When such a ball is gripped by the hand, a space is presented between the ball and the palm of the players hand. Bowling gloves and bowling aids have been concerned with the filling of this space particularly for use during the actual delivery of the ball, asserting that it is essential to fill this gap to maintain a proper grip on the ball throughout their delivery. To accomplish this, such aids have employed wedge devices which attempt to fill the gap. In considering such devices or aids, consideration must be given to the anatomy of the hand. Basically, for purpose of the discussion herein, the hand may be described as consisting of the fingers (including the index finger, the middle two fingers and the little finger) the palm and the thumb, which hand is connected to the wrist portion of the arm.

The palm of the hand must consider the muscles that are associated therewith. These muscles, according to Grays anatomy, are (1) those of the thumb, which occupy the radial side and produce the muscles that extend downward towards the wrist and are referred to as the muscles of the thenar eminence; (2) those of the little finger, which occupy the ulnar side and give rise to the hypothenar eminence; (3) those in the middle of the palm and between the metacarpal bones; the fourth set of muscles which requires consideration is the transverse carpal ligament of the hand which extendsfrom the thenar eminence into the hypothenar eminence. The carpal ligaments for our purposes will be referred to as the base of the palm, with the heel portion referring to that portion of the base of the palm which is adjacent to the wrist.

The bowling aids heretofore is general have been concerned with the filling of the gap or the placement of a wedge in the central or middle portion of the palm; whereas the present invention is concerned with the entire structure of the hand and the wrist to provide an aid which assures the same positioning of the ball preparatory to the delivery of the ball such that this positioning is the same with each subsequent approach 3,606,319 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 for delivery. This is provided for by using a contoured U-shaped device which has the base thereof in engagement with the carpal ligaments or the base of the palm. The spaced outwardly extending legs of the contoured ;U-shaped member rest on the hypothenar eminence and the edges of the thenar eminence which thus provides a rigid generally unyielding base for the bowlers aid which eliminates variations in grip and positioning and provides a consistent positioning of the ball which facilitates the same posture of the ball as it is initially positioned in the stance prior to the beginning of the delivery of the ball. In addition, the support means which holds the U-shaped member to the hand is shaped to facilitate full and complete ventilation of the hand, preventing perspiration which is detrimental to the consistency of conditions desirable to prevent inadvertent slippage since the perspiration would act as a lubricant. Bowling return structure provides a fan which bowlers use to evaporate moisture and dry the hands; however, with gloves on the bowlers hands, the proper ventilation and drying of the hand is prevented. The present invention can utilize such forced ventilation to keep the hand dry and does not interfere with such drying proc ess. The present invention also assures a firm retention of the bowling aid by utilizing a wide support band for the wrist which assures a firm stable bowling aid. Moreover, the bowling aid is easy to slip into and take off in comparison to other available glove devices which require considerable effort and do not in any way facilitate their easy removal. In addition the instant invention facilitates economical manufacturing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The bowling aid constructed in accordance with the present invention includes a flexible U-shaped panel member which may be of stretchable material. The panel member has its forwardly disposed leg portions joined by a cross member with the respective end portions of each leg portion having a loop for receiving the index and little fingers, and rearwardly disposed portion that extends over the transverse carpal ligaments of the hand which is integrally connected to a wrist portion adapted to encircle the wrist and be firmly secured thereto. A U-shaped rigid member having a heel portion and a pair of outwardly extending. leg members taper inwardly towards the inner periphery of such rigid member and is adjustably secured to the flexible, stretchable panel member such that the heel portion rests firmly on the base of the palm with the one leg member resting firmly on the hypothenar eminence while the other leg member is contoured to be supported by the thenar eminence and by the hand portion lying between the index finger and the thumb. The leg members and the heel portion of the rigid member are tapered inwardly toward the center of the palm such that the taper centers a bowling ball when the bowling aid is held in the hand, with the hand extending in a horizontal position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the bowling aid device as viewed on a bowlers right hand.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view with a portion broken away on the hand of a bowler.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view showing the spaced finger loops.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the bowling aid device with the U-shaped member removed to clearly illustrate the contour of the glove-like portion thereof.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the U-shaped member of the bowling aid device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the U-shaped member shown in FIG. 1 as viewed toward the recessed portion adjacent to the thumb area without the fleecy material thereon.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the modified form of bowling aid taken along lines 77 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a hand 10 having an index finger 11, little finger 12, fingers 13 and 14, and a thumb 15 as well as a wrist 16. A generally U-shaped piece of flexible panel member 17 with leg portions 18 and 19 and a base portion 20 covers the outer peripheral portion of the palm of the hand as seen in FIG. 1. The respective ends of the leg portions 18 and 19 are suitably interconnected by a cross member or connecting member 21 which maintains the spacing of the leg members. The flexible panel member 17 may be made of a material that is subjected to being stretched slightly to provide a tensioned material for the hand for a purpose to be described. Suitably connected to the respective ends of the leg portions 18 and 19 are finger portions or loops 22 and 23 respectively. Integral with the base portion 20 of panel member 17 is a wrist portion having laterally extending portions 24 and 25. Each laterally extending portion 24 and 25 has pressuresensitive adhesive means such as strips or pads 26 and 27 of woven nylon fabric which are cooperative with each other upon encirclement of the wearers wrist to secure the panel member 17 firmly in :position on the wearers hand. Such strips or pads of woven nylon fabric have different physical characteristics which adhere tenaciously to each other when pressed together. Such nylon fabric is sold under the trade name of Velcro and is sold by the American Thread Company, New York, N.Y. and Chicago, Ill. Such strips of material cooperate in pairs, with one strip being rough and hard comprising rows of loop hooks extending outwardly of the fabric body and is referred to as the burr strip while the other cooperative strip is a soft, wool-like surface and is referred to as the fleecy strip. The panel member '17 as shown in FIG. 4 has a burr strip 28 suitably secured as by the use of an adhesive or as by sewing to the heel portion thereof, a burr strip 29 secured to the leg portion which would lie over the hypothenar eminence, and a burr strip 3 0 secured to the other leg portion, which would lie midway between the thumb area and the index finger loop 22.

A rigid U-shaped member 31 having a heel portion 32 and a pair of leg members 33 and 34 as shown in FIG. 5 has a fleecy strip 35 suitably secured to the bottom portions of each leg member 33, 34 and a fleecy strip 35 secured to the bottom of the heel portion 32 such as to facilitate the securing of the U-shaped member 31 onto the panel member .17 to provide firm adherence between strips 28, 29, with strips 35. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, the leg members 33 and 34 diverge outwardly slightly from each other. The rigid U-shaped member is made of a high impact plastic material.

The heel portion 32 of the U-shaped member is a relative thick section, whereas the respective leg members 33 and 34 are thin sections and of consistent crosssectional thickness throughout the length thereof, as seen in FIG. 6. In addition, the bottom portion of the U-shaped member 31 between leg member 34 and the heel 32 is arcuately shaped to accommodate the base of the thumb as shown in FIG. -6. The upper surface of the U-shaped member 31 including the heel 32 and the respective leg members 3334 tapers inwardly from the outer periphery to the inner periphery generally at the same degree of radius as a bowling ball to assure the proper balancing and centering ofa bowling ball when held in such bowling aid when the hand is in horizontal position, however with the index finger and little finger in the holes of the bowling ball. The bowlers hand will position the ball in the center of the hand exactly the same each time. Note FIG. 2 depicts the tapering such that even without the gripping by the fingers, the bowling ball will be balanced and centered in the bowlers hand. With the flexible panel member 17 made of a synthetic slightly stretchable material, the panel member may be firmly secured to the hand, particularly with respect to the wrist portion which permits the respective wrist portions 24 and 25 to be drawn tightly around the wrist to give a positive strapping of the wrist and provide for a better and consistent feel of the ball with less chance for slippage or error.

A modification of the bowling aid as described above is to have the respective laterally extending wrist portions 24 and 25 of substantial width in the order of three inches to thereby provide for a firmer support and strapping of the wrist as well as for a positive positioning of the bowling aid.

A further modification is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 which is similar in most respects to the original embodiment, except that the flexible panel member 17' is a generally elongated piece of flexible material which has a pair of spaced finger loops 22' and 23- suitably connected to the forward portion thereof. A Wide wrist band 36 of three inches width is integrally connected to the rearwardly disposed portion of the panel member 17' having the respective laterally extending wrist portions suitably supporting cooperative burr and fleecy strips as in the first described embodiment which cooperate to secure the bowling aid device on the wearers hand. In addition, in lieu of the rigid U-shaped member 31, the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 has an annular contoured rigid member 37 wherein the outer periphery 38, inner periphery 39' are oval except for gap at the extreme forward portion thereof. The rigid member 37 has a concave taper from the outer periphery 38 to the inner periphery 39, which contour conforms to the radius of a bowling ball such as to center the bowling ball in the member 37. The palm portion of the panel member 17' may have a hole in the center portion or be perforated to provide for the passage of air to facilitate the evaporation of perspiration.

What is claimed is:

1. A bowling aid for use on the hand of a bowler comprising, a flexible panel member adapted to fit on the hand of a 'wearer, a pair of spaced loops at one end of said panel member for receiving fingers of the bowler, wrist means at the other end of said panel member for its attachment to the wrist of the hand, a rigid U-shaped member, the span between the legs of said U-shaped member being such as to enable the legs to be supported by the thenar and hypothenar eminences, respectively, of the palm of a bowler, means adjustably connecting said rigid U-shaped member to said panel member, and said rigid U-shaped member tapering inwardly from the outer periphery toward the inner periphery to receive and center a bowling ball.

2. A bowling aid as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flexible panel member is a flexible U-shaped member hava pair of outwardly extending leg portions and a base portion, a cross member interconnects the outer end portions of said leg portions, and said loops being connected to a said outer end portions of said leg portions.

3. A bowling aid as set forth in claim 2 wherein said wrist means includes a pair of laterally extending portions having a width of approximately three inches, and each of said laterally extending portions have cooperative pressure-sensitive adhesive means to secure said wrist means to the wrist of a bowlers hand.

4. A bowling aid as set forth in claim 3 wherein said flexible panel member and said laterally extending portions of said wrist means are made of a stretchable material.

5. A bowling aid as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rigid *U-shaped member has a base portion and outwardly diverging leg members, each of said leg members being of substantial equal cross section, and said tapering of said U-shaped member presents a concavity to accommodate the curvature of a bowling ball, and one side of said base portion of said U-shaped member having an arcuately shaped recess along its juncture with one of said leg members to accommodate the thenar eminence of the thumb.

6. A bowling aid as set forth in claim 2 wherein said rigid U-shaped member is an annular member generally oval in plan view with the respective forward portions of the leg members thereof terminating to form the U-shaped construction.

7. A bowling aid as set forth in claim 5 wherein the base portion of said rigid U-shaped member has a heel portion adapted to extend over the base of the palm of a hand.

8. A bowling aid for application to a bowlers hand comprising a flexible U-shaped panel member, said flexible member having a pair of spaced leg portions and a base portion, a cross member interconnecting the outer end portions of said leg portions, one of said leg portions having a finger loop at one end thereof for being received by the index finger of the hand, the other of said leg portions having a loop for receiving the little finger of the hand, said base portion interconnecting said leg portions and extending over the carpal ligament of the hand, a rigid U-shaped member secured to said flexible U-shaped member with the legs of the members of said rigid U- shaped member lying on the respective leg portions of said flexible U-shaped member, a pair of laterally extending portions integral with said base portion for encircling a wrist, pressure-sensitive adhesive means connected to said pair of laterally extending portions for securing said bowling aid to the hand of a bowler upon encirclernent of the wrist by said laterally extending portions, and said rigid U-shaped member having its outer periphery tapering inwardly towards the inner peripheral edge of the rigid U-shaped member to present a concave annular surface conforming to the curvature of a bowling ball.

9. A bowling aid as set forth in claim 8 wherein said flexible U-shaped panel member and said laterally extending portions are of a stretchable material, and said laterally extending portions are at least three inches wide.

'10. A bowling aid for application to a bowlers hand comprising a rigid annular member that is generally U- shaped, said annular member having a pair of outwardly extending leg members and a base portion, the upper surface of said base portion having a concavity, the one side of said base portion being arcuately recessed to accommodate the thenar eminence of the thumb, the respective leg members being of a consistent cross-sectional thickness tapering from the outer peripheral edge towards the inner peripheral edge to define a concavity that is a continuation of the concavity of said base portion to present an annular concavity that conforms to the curvature of a bowling ball, a flexible stretchable panel member for covering a portion of the hand supporting said rigid annular member, said flexible panel member having a pair of spaced loops for receiving the index finger and little finger, and said flexible panel member having a wirst portion for securing said bowling aid to the hand of a bowler.

11. A bowling aid as set forth in claim 10 wherein the central area of said flexible panel member is perforated to facilitate the movement of air.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,031,680 5/ 1962 Compiano 273--54BUX 3,123,832 3/1964 Kubik 273-54BUX 3,344,436 10/1967 Stubbs 273-54BX 3,421,160 1/ 1969 Domenico 273-54BX ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2161A 

